Insole and method of making the same



Patented Dec. 22, 1942 INSOLE AND METHO D OF MAKING THE ME Corwin W. Baker, Stoneham, Mass, assigno'r to United Shoe Machinery Corporation, Flemington, N. J., a corporation of New Jersey Application September 2, 1941, Serial No. 409,247

Claims.

This invention relates to improvements in insoles and methods of making the same and is herein illustrated with reference to its application to insoles having marginal sewing ribs adapting them for use in the manufacture of welt shoes.

In a welt shoe the sewing rib of the insole which usually comprises the upturned lips or flaps of continuous outside and inside channels tends to stiffen the insole so as to prevent the forepart of the shoe bottom from bending as freely as is desirable to accommodate the natural flexing movements of the foot.

One object of the present invention is to provide a ribbed insole in which the rib is of such a character that when the insole has been incorporated in a shoe the rib will have substantially no tendency to stiffen the shoe so as to interfere with the desired free bending or flexing of its forepart.

With the above and other objects in view, as will hereinafter appear, the invention in one aspect provides a ribbed insole in which the rib comprises outer and inner rows of upstanding tabs, the tabs of each row being spaced apart lengthwise of the rib and the tabs of one row being staggered with respect to those of the other row. As shown, the tabs are quite narrow and they are all of substantially the same size, and the width of the spaces between the tabs of each row is approximately the same as the width of each tab. Moreover, the staggered arrangement of the tabs is such that the tabs of each row are located opposite the spaces between the tabs of the other row. Thus, the tabs form a rib which may be regarded as continuous in the sense that there are no gaps or openings in the rib throughout its length. Thus, the rib will afford secure anchorage for the inseam stitches but it will not tend to stiffen the insole since it is capable of bending freely with the insole because it is actually composed of a multiplicity of individual tabs. As shown, the tabs are formed by means of shallow cuts, the cuts forming the tabs of the outer row extending inwardly from localities adjacent to the sole edge and the cuts forming the tabs of the inner row extending outwardly from localities spaced inwardly from where the rib is to be located. Each cut is so made that the tab formed thereby will be connected only at its inner extremity with the material of the sole and thus when the tab has been raised into upstanding position its opposite lateral margins as well as its outer edge will be free from the sole.

To facilitate the operation of raising the tabs and insure that they will be permanently retained in upstanding positions, I prefer to cement a, narrow tape to the upper surfaces of the tabs while those surfaces lie in the plane of the surface of the sole and thereafter progressively to raise the tabs as by means of outer and inner tab raising plows or the like, thereby folding the tape along its central median line and pressing the folded sides of the tape toward each other so that the tape in two-ply folded form will lie between the outer and inner rows of tabs. Preferably, also, the tape will be coated with cement upon its upper as well as upon its lower side and as the two sides of the folded tape are pressed together by the tab-raising tools they will adhere to each other as well as to. the tabs and thus the tape will reinforce the taps and connect them together to provide a continuous sewing rib of fabricated construction, the principal elements of which are the tabs which are integral with the sole itself.

Invention is also to be recognized as residing in the improvements in methods of making ribbed insoles hereinafter described and claimed.

The invention will be explained with reference to the accompanying drawing. in which:

Fig. l is a plan view of a ribbed insole embodying certain features of my invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views on an enlarged scale taken along the lines II-II and iIIIII of Fig. 1;

Figs. 4 and 5 are sectional views on an enlarged scale taken along the lines IV-IV and V-V of Fig. 1;

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 but showing the rib disposed in an inwardly inclined position;

Figs. '7 and 8 are sectional views on an enlarged scale taken along the lines VII-VII and. VIII-VIII of Fig. 1;

Fig. 9 is a cross-sectional view, on a still further enlarged scale, of the ribbed portion of the insole showing particularly the folded reinforcing tape and the cement by means of which the folded portions of the tape are secured to one another and to the tabs, which constitute the body of the rib;

Fig. 10 is a perspective view of the insole as it appears after the reinforcing tape has been applied and the tabs have been raised into upstanding positions;

Fig. 11 is a fragmentary perspective View of an insole illustrating a modified arrangement of the tabs and showing the tabs as they appear before being raised into upstanding positions;

:the tabs themselves.

cement 26 (Fig. 9) and the outer surfaces the folded portions are secured by means Fig. 12 is a plan view of a portion of an insole in which the series of tabs formed as illustrated in Fig. 11 have been raised into upstanding positions;

Fig. 13 is a plan view of a portion of an insole illustrating a further modified arrangement of the tabs forming the insole rib; and

Fig. 14 is a sectional view on the line XIV XIV of Fig. 13.

Referring to Figs. 1 to 6, inclusive, of the drawing, the insole l6 shown therein is provided with a sewing rib [8 of improved construction comprising an outer marginal row of upstanding tabs 20, an inner marginal row of upstanding tabs 22, and a reinforcing tape 24 which is interposed between the two rows of tabs and is secured by means of cement to the inner faces of the individual tabs. The tabs 20 and 22, which are uniform in size and shape, are quite narrow (measured in directions lengthwise of the sole edge), an appropriate width being T of an inch. The tabs correspond in length to the height of the sewing rib of a conventional insole for use in the manufacture of welt shoes. The tabs of each row are spaced apart edgewise so that the spaces between the tabs are of approximately the same width as The tabs of each row are staggered with respect to those of the other row, the arrangement being suchthat the tabs of each row are located directly opposite the spaces between the tabs of the other row. As shown, the tape 24 is folded along its longitudinal me- .dian line, the portion at one side of the fold lying against the portion at the other side of the fold. The inner surfaces of these two portions of of of of the tape are secured together by means cement 28 to the tabs so that the outer tabs and the inner tabs 22 are secured together in upstanding positions by means of the tape and the cement to provide a continuous sewing rib. As shown, the tape is disposed with its folded edge .39 in engagement with the face of the insole. It is to be understood, however, that an unfolded tape or a tape of single ply'formation may be employed between the rows of tabs, the

tape being cemented to the tabs of each row for the purpose of reinforcing the tabs and securing them together. The insole itself will preferably be made of a good quality of sole leather and the tabs 20 and 22 may be formed integrally with the sole material, as indicated in Figs. 1 to 6, by making a series of outer cuts 32 and a corresponding series of inner cuts 34 in the marginal portion of the sole. Each cut 32 extends from a locality adjacent to the sole edge in the face of the sole downwardly and inwardly toward the area where the base of the sewing rib is to be located, and each cut 34 extends downwardly and outwardly from. a locality spaced inwardly from said area, the length of the cuts in these directions determining the length of the tabs and the height of the rib which is produced when the tabs are raised into upstanding positions. The cuts extend in directions lengthwise of the sole edge approximately of an inch, thus determining the width of the tabs. Each .cut intersects the surface of the insole along a line shaped like the letter U, thereby defining the end and side edges of the tab produced by the cut. The cuts may be made by knives having cutting edges which are upturned near their end portions to form the lateral edges of the angles to the sole.

tween the tape and the tabs.

adhere lightly to the portions tabs. In forming the cuts the knives may be moved inwardly toward an area which is to be located beneath the completed sewing rib, after which the knives are retracted to withdraw them from the sole material. As shown, the portions of the cuts 32 which form the ends of the tabs 20 are located a slight distance inwardly from the sole edge, thus leaving the feather on the insole of uniform thickness so that no irregularities will be formed in the upper of the shoe where the upper overlies the edge of the feather.

The tabs formed by the above-described cuts may be upturned in any suitable manner to form the sewing rib. Advantageously, the knives which make the tab-forming cut may be operated so as to leave the tabs raised slightly above the' surface of the insole and thereafter the tabs may be raised further until they occupy the ultimately desired upstanding positions by the employment of a conventional channel opening machine equipped with lip turning plows or tools of types well known in the sole fitting art. However, in order to facilitate the upturning of the tabs and to provide also for securing them in upturned positions and forming a rib of reinforced construction, I prefer to proceed as follows. After the cuts have been made in the insole I lay along the surface of the insole margin where the cuts have, been formed a thin strip of material, such as the tape 24, which has a coating of cement, for example latex, upon each side, applying the tape with sufficient pressure to cause it to become firmly bonded to the upper surfaces of the tabs 20 and 22. Thereafter I raise the tabs of both the outer and inner rows as by the use of suitable devices which may be in the nature of lip turning tools or plows, these devices being shaped and arranged to lift the tabs disposed in the desired angular relation to the sole which, as shown in Figs. 1 to 5, inclusive, may be at right when the adhesive-coated tape is applied to the surfaces of the tabs and caused to adhere firmly thereto it may also adhere more or less to the surface portions of the insole which lie between the tabs, although on account of the fact that the tabs themselves will be disposed at least slightly above the adjacent portions of the insole surface by the cutting operation the bond between the tape and the uncut portions of the insole will invariably be weaker than that be- As the tabs are raised, therefore, the portions of the tape which of the sole body will be easily stripped or separated from the latter and no substantial interference will be offered to the progress of the tab-raising operation. As the inner and outer tabs are raised, the tape will be folded along its longitudinal median line, as indicated at 35 in Fig. l, and the cement-coated upper surfaces of the portions of the tape at opposite sides of the fold will finally be pressed together so that they will firmly adhere to one another. Thus, the folded tape with its inner and outer coatings of cement will firmly secure together the inner and outer rows of tabs so that a continuous sewing rib will be formed consisting of the two rows of tabs with the folded tape between them. While for convenience of illustration in Figs. 1 to 5 the rib has been shown as being disposed at right angles transversely with respect to the sole, it should be understood that the tabs may be so turned that the rib will be disposed in any other desired angular relation to the sole. For example, in raising the tabs, the

It may be noted here that outer tabs may be turned through an arc of more than 90 and the inner tabs through an arc of less than 90 so that the resulting rib will be inclined inwardly as shown in Fig. 6.

It iscontemplated also that the tape 24 coated on both sides with cement, may be laid flat upon the marginal portion of the insole at the side where the rib is to be formed, before the tabforming cuts are made and that thereafter the tabs will be cut and raised into upstanding positions. While, as hereinbefore indicated, the knives may be moved in directions at right anlglesto the insole edge in making the tab forming cuts, the cutting of the tabs may also be eifected by feeding the insole margin in a lengthwise direction past the knives, the inner and outer knives being arranged to cut in alternation, each knife cutting first downwardly from the surface of the sole and later upwardly until it emerges from the material of the sole while the sole is being fed. In thus forming the tabs the first part of the downward cutting movement of the knife will form one lateral edge of the tab while the latter part of the upward movement of the knife will form the opposite lateral edge of the 4 tab. If the reinforcing tape ha been applied prior to the making of the cuts, the knives will also be-operated so that they will not cut through the tape, the relative movement of each knife and the sole in the localities between successive tabs being an idle or non-cutting movement during which the knife will operate between the tape and the adjacent surface of the sole without any cutting action, the knife functioning merely to break the adhesion of the tape to the sole.

When an insole having my improved sewing rib has been incorporated in a shoe the rib will not tend to stiffen the shoe or interfere with the desired bending or flexing of the for-apart of the shoe because of the ability of the rib to stretch lengthwise. The improved sewing rib is capable of stretching lengthwise because it is composed of a plurality of individual tabs instead of comprising continuous channel lips such as would offer a substantial amount of resistance to the bending of the sole. In my improved construction the tabs are connected by a strip of woven fabric tape but inasmuch as the tape is cut on the bias it is rendered freely stretchable l ngthwise and therefore will not resist the bending of thesole. The staggered relation of the tabs comprising the rib is such that there are no gaps or openings in the rib through which an inseam stitch could pass unless, in an occasional instance, a stitch might be located so as to extend between the edges of two adjacent tabs. In such a case, however, the stitch would pass through the reinforcing tape and thus would find a secure anchorage in the rib.

In the shank portion of a shoe where it is desired to have the bottom structure stiff and rigid, the ability of my improved sewing rib to stretch lengthwise is also of advantage inasmuch as it insures against any tendency of the joint between thewelt and the outsole to check or open up. The checking of this joint is a common occurrence in a welt shoe of the usual construction where repeated bending 0r flexing of the shoe bottom is bound to result in more or less relative slipping or creeping movement between the outsole and the welt. In a shoe having an insole provided with my improved sewing rib, the welt is permitted to slip relatively to the insole when the shoe bottom is flexed, due to the stretchable character of the rib,

and therefore there willbe little if any tendency consequently little likelihood that the joint between the welt and the outsole will open up.

Instead of relatively arranging the tab-forming cuts as shown in Fig. 1, the outer and inner cuts may be relatively disposed as shown at 320 and 340, respectively, in Fig. 11 so that when the tabs formed by the cuts have been raised into upstanding positions the opposite lateral margins of each tab in one row will overlap the adjacent lateral margins of the two nearest tabs in the other row, as shown in Fig. 12. Thus, by cementing together the overlapping marginal portions of the tabs of the inner and outer rows a continuous sewing rib may be produced without introducing a tape between the rows of tabs. The tabs may be secured together by means of cement which may be applied as a coating to the margin of the insole after the cuts have been formed therein, as indicated by stippling at .38 in Fig. 11. The rib, thus formed, may be reinforced if desired or the rib may be left unreinforced, as indicated. Such a rib, while continuous, will nevertheless be capable of stretching more than a conventional solid rib since the cement employed to secure the tabs together will preferably be of such a character that a certain amount of yielding or slipping will take place at the joints between the tabs when the insole is bent. Consequently, such a rib will offer little if any substantial resistance to the bending of the sole.

Alternatively, the tabs constituting the sewing rib may be secured together and held in upstanding positions by cementing. a reinforcing element to the inner sides of all the tabs. This reinforcing element may be in the form of a strip or tape .or,as indicated in Figs. 13 and 14, it may consist of the upturned marginal portion 40 of a sheet of reinforcing fabric 42 which is secured .by means of cement 44 to that portion of the insole surface which lies inside the rows of tabs. If the tabs are to .be reinforced and secured in .place in this manner they should preferably be formed by cuts relatively arranged as disclosed in Fig. l and in the operation of raising the tabs sufiicient pressure should be applied to the tabs to cause those :of the outer and inner rows to lie substantially in the same plane with their edge portions substantially in alinement, as shown in Fig. 14.

Having described my invention, whatIclaim as new and desire to .secure by Letters Patent of the i United States is:

:rated by spaces of substantial width-and the tabs of one row being staggered relatively to the tabs of the other row.

2. An insole having a sewing rib comprising two closely adjacent rows of tabs, those of each row being separated fromadjacent tabs of the same row by spaces of substantial width, the tabs of one row being in staggered relation to the tabs of the other row, and the tabs of each row being wider than the spaces between them and havin portions adjacent to their lateral edges secured by means of cement to lateral edge portions of adjacent tabs of the other row to form a continuous rib.

3. An insole .havinga sewing rib comprising'a series of upstanding outer marginal tabs and a series of upstanding innermarginal tabs, the tabs of each. series being spaced. lengthwise of the sole margin and disposed in edgewise alinement, said outer tabs being staggered with respect to said inner tabs and disposed with their opposite lateral margins overlapping the adjacent lateral margins of said inner tabs, and said overlapping marginal portions of said outer and inner tabs being secured together by means of cement to form a continuous sewing rib.

4. An insole having closely adjacent outer and inner marginal rows of upstanding tabs, all of the tabs of each row being spaced apart substantial distances in directions lengthwise of the sole edge, and a narrow strip extending between said rows of tabs, said strip being secured to all of said tabs thereby connecting them to provide a continuous sewing rib.

5. An insole having a sewing rib comprising an outer row of upstanding tabs and an inner row of upstanding marginal tabs, all of the tabs of each row being spaced substantial distances apart and those of one row being staggered relatively to those of the other row, and a layer of reinforcing material secured to the surface of the insole inside said inner row of tabs and having an upstanding margin secured by means of cement to the tabs sponding series of inner marginal cuts extending outwardly from localities spaced inwardly from said outer cuts, said inner cuts being spaced apart lengthwise of the sole edge and forming a series of spaced inner tabs integrally connected with the sole only at their outer extremities, said outer cuts and said outer tabs being disposed in staggeredrelation to said inner cuts and said inner tabs.

7. An insole having at one side an outer series of marginal cuts each extending lengthwise of the sole margin and inwardly from a locality adjacent to the sole edge, said cuts being spaced apart lengthwiseof the sole edge and forming a series of spaced outer tabs integrally connected with the sole only at their inner extremities and a corresponding inner series of marginal cuts extending outwardly from localities spaced inwardly from said outer cuts, said cuts being spaced apart lengthwise of the sole edge and forming a series of spaced inner tabs integrally connected with the sole only at their outer extremities, the cuts and tabs of each series being disposed with their lateral edge portions only opposite the cuts and tabs of the other series.

8. That improvement in methods of making ribbed insoles which comprises cutting in one side of an insole a series of marginal tabs which are spaced apart lengthwise of the sole edge and are connected with the sole only at their inner extremities, applying a cement coated strip of reinforcing material to the margin of the insole at the out side thereof so that the strip will be secured by the cement to the exposed face of each of said tabs, and raising said strip into upstanding position thereby turning said tabs upwardly into positions for the reception of insole stitches.

9. That improvement in the method of making ribbed insoles which comprises forming at one side of the insole a series of outer marginal tabs which are spaced lengthwise of the sole edge and are connected with the sole only at their inner 1 extremities forming at the same side of the insole a corresponding series of inner marginal tabs connected with the sole onlyat their outer extremities and disposed instaggered relation to said outer tabs, cementing to the upper surfaces of all of said tabs a tape having a coating of cement on its upper surface, turning said tabs into upstanding positions thereby folding said tape along a central median line and cementing together opposite marginal portions of the tape so as to hold the tabs permanently in upstanding positions to form an integrated sewing rib.

10. That improvement in the method of making ribbed insoles which comprises cutting inwardly from localities adjacent to but spaced inwardly from the sole ed e at one side of the sole and thereby forming a series of outer marginal tabs spaced from the sole edge and from one another lengthwise of the sole edge and connected with the sole only at their inner extremities, cutting outwardly from localities spaced inwardly from said outer tabs at the same side of the sole and thereby forming a series of inner marginal tabs connected with the sole only at their outer extremities and so disposed relatively to said outer tabs that when all of said tabs are raised to upstanding positions the opposite lateral margins only of the tabs of one series will overlap the adjacent lateral margins of the tabs of the other series, applying a continuous stripe of cement to the margin at the out side of the insole so as to form a cement coating upon the exposed side of each of said tabs, and turning all of said tabs into upstanding positions thereby causing said cement to secure the overlapping margin of the tabs together to form a continuous sewing rib.

ll. That improvement in methods of making ribbed insoles which comprises cementing to the surface of the marginal portion of an insole a strip of tape having a coating of cement upon the side which is to be exposed, forming in the marginal portion of the insole beneath the tape outer and inner marginal rows of tabs, the tabs of the outer row being integrally connected at their inner extremities only with the insole and the tabs of the inner row being integrally connected at their outer extremities only with the insole, raising said tabs to upstanding positions thereby folding said tape lengthwise, and pressing the tabs of the outer row inwardly and the tabs of the inner row outwardly thereby causing the two portions of the folded tape to be secured to one another by means of said coating of cement so that the tabs will be held in raised positions by means of the tape and the cement to form a continuous sewing rib.

12. An insole having at one side a sewing rib comprising an outer row of marginal tabs and an inner row of marginal tabs, the tabs extending upwardly from the insole and being of substantially equal width and adjacent tabs of each row being spaced from each other a distance slightly less than the width of the tabs, the tabs of one row being opposite the spaces between the tabs of the other row and being disposed with the lateral edge portions only of each tab overlapping the lateral edge portions of the two adjacent tabs of the other row, and means for securing together the overlapping edge portions of the tabs.

13. An insole having a rib comprising two rows of tabs of substantially equal width, the adjacent tabs of each row being spaced from each other a distance greater than half the width of the tabs, the tabs of one row being opposite the spaces between the tabs in the other row.

adapted to be raised into upstanding positions and an inner row of marginal cuts forming an inner series of marginal tabs adapted to be raised into upstanding positions to serve in conjunction with said outer series of tabs to provide a sewing rib, each of said cuts comprising portion extending downwardly from the surface at one side of the insole and a portion extending parallel to said surface, said downwardly extending portions forming a U-shaped incision in the insole surface defining the free end and the lateral edges of a tab and said other portion forming one side of the tab, said cuts being spaced from each other lengthwise of the sole edge and those of one row being opposite the spaces between those of the other row so that the tabs of one series will be opposite the spaces between the tab of the other series.

15. An insole having a row of marginal cuts forming a series of marginal tabs adapted to be raised into upstanding positions, each of said cuts comprising portions extending downwardly from the surface at one side of the insole and a portion extending parallel tosaid surface, said downwardly extending portions forming a U-shaped incision in the insole surface defining the free end and the lateral edges of a tab and said other portion forming one side of the tab, said cuts being separated from each other lengthwise of the sole edge by uncut portions of substantial extent and all portions of said cuts being spaced inwardly from the sole edge.

CORWIN W. BAKER. 

